Cheap and Low Tables to Make

Low tables are handy and here are some do-it-yourself ideas that several young couples have found practical and inexpensive.

A simple table can be made of four large cement blocks, selected from the stock of any cement company or building supply house. Highly decorative versions, such as those with four cut-out petals in the center, are sometimes available. They can be clustered at right angles to each other and a potted fern placed in the center.

A large circle of heavy glass, cut to size by any local glass company, fits over the top of the blocks. Small circles of felt glued to the tops of the blocks keeps the glass top from being scratched.

Another couple found an old stained-glass door in a junk shop. They attached the door to 2x2 pine legs, and it now serves as a coffee table. They find that the leaded glass is tough enough to withstand the kind of use they give it.

If stained glass needs protection, clear glass panels can be cut the same size to fit over the top.

One man decided to make a free-form, rough plank coffee table that would be suitable for the porch. He found old barn timbers, lichen gray in color, and joined them with cross boards.

He sketched out a free-form shape with a pencil and cut the wood with an electric saw. (The pattern could also be cut out at a lumber yard, for a fee.)

Heavy pine legs were used to support the top. A table top display of nuts, a fern, a cluster of candles and fresh fruit completed the hospitable setting.